Neil Lennon’s side fired on all cylinders at a venue where the weather can be a factor but it was Arbroath who were blown away in a Dunfermline storm.

It was a home team in good form that Dunfermline travelled to meet at Greendiversity Gayfield Park. Joint top of the Championship, Arbroath’s David Gold went with the same starting eleven while Neil Lennon made one change for Dunfermline. Andrew Tod returned and Josh Cooper dropped to the bench beside most recent signing Nurudeen Abdulai. The Red Lichties starting eleven contained former Pars Ryan Dow, Harry Cochrane and Nikolay Todorov.

After a one minute applause to celebrate Jimmy Bone who died in the week before the game, Arbroath kicked off defending the goal in front of the Pars fans squashed into stand to shelter from the heavy rain. Within two minutes Robbie Fraser generated the first excitement from the travelling support burst up the left and crossing an inviting ball that arrived on just the wrong side of Zak Rudden.
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The Fifers immediately took the game to their hosts in the opening minutes but it was Todorov who was presented with the first real opportunity of the afternoon meeting a seventh minute cross from the left that deflected off John Tod for the first corner of the game. Successfully defended it was back to the other end where Alfons Amade fired an effort wildly wide.

Dunfermline frustrated their opponents holding on to possession for lengthy periods. It was an eight passes move Andrew Tod 18th minute shot blocked at near post by a defender. Just two minutes later Alfons Amade superbly won the ball in the centre of the park and laced the ball through for Jefferson CÃ ¡ceres to tee up A TOD and the 19 year-old polished off the 20th minute chance converting at the left goalpost. 0-1.
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Gilmour was next to threaten but his decent effort was defended away by Aaron Muirhead. Todorov sent a huge opportunity to equalise over the crossbar and after Amade picked up the first yellow card, Jack Wilkie drove a 26th minute free kick into the four man Pars wall from 28 yards out, his effort deflected wide for a corner on the right. From that Craig Watson’s header looped over the bar. Next in 33 minutes Todorov sent his header wide from another corner from the right. Arbroath were making a big attempt to get back on level terms and Amade blocked a Findlay Marshall effort.

Dunfermline rallied however after an A Tod cross looped beyond the far post off an Arbroath boot. Fraser took it short to CÃ ¡ceres and he lined up Shea Kearney to dispatch a netbound shot from 25 yards out that was deflected wide. Rudden and A Tod then combined to force a corner on the left but in the first minute of two added the pair struck for Dunfermline’s second goal.

It was CÃ ¡ceres who displayed good close control to effectively take out four opponents as he set up Amade for a forward pass from the half way line to pick out Rudden on the left. His cross was expertly met by A TOD in front of goal to finish. 0-2

An excellent time to score a second goal one would think. A very good first half performance from a Dunfermline team that looked on fire for much of the time.

Half Time: Arbroath 0 Dunfermline 2

Clearly with his eye on a third, Andrew Tod tried a 51st minute shot that came close but he would record his first senior hattrick just seven minutes later. Rudden prodded the ball out to the left as the referee overruled the linesman’s raised flag. Fraser gather and delivered the perfect low cross for TOD to slide home his third on the day, his seventh in seven games this season. 0-3
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Watson shot straight at Mason Munn before the Fifers scored a fourth. A quickly taken free kick by Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen saw A Tod run on to the ball deep down the left. The hattrick man then turned provider setting up RUDDEN to finish at the right goalpost. 0-4

In 76 minutes Rudden sent an inviting ball through the right channel and sub Rory MACLEOD smashed the ball past keeper Aidan McAdams from the edge of the box. 0-5

Other Par sub Josh Cooper had a good chance three minutes from full time, switching the ball from one foot to the other before forcing a good save out of McAdams.

This was a fantastic display of attacking football from Dunfermline, a fine hattrick for Andrew Tod, goals for two other strikers and a very impressive win on the road. A very happy journey down the road for the away fans even given the roadworks delays on the A90.
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ARBROATH: Aidan McAdams: Craig Watson (Arran Pettifer 73), Aaron Muirhead, Thomas O’Brien, Jack Wilkie; Harry Cochrane (Jacob McIntyre HT), Ryan Flynn: Findlay Marshall (Taylor Steven HT), Scott Stewart: Nikolay Todorov, Ryan Dow (Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia 73)
SUBS NOT USED: Colin Hamilton, David Gold, Jordan Pettigrew (GK).
YELLOW CARDS: Dow (29), Flynn (38), Muirhead (58), Hickey-Fugaccia (80)

DUNFERMLINE: Mason Munn: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), John Tod (Ewan Otoo 81) 81): Shea Kearney, Charlie Gilmour, Alfons Amade (Tashan Oakley-Boothe 67) Robbie Fraser: Jefferson CÃ ¡ceres (Josh Cooper 67): Andrew Tod (Rory Macleod 70), Zak Rudden (Chris Kane 81)
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Hamilton, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Nurudeen Abdulai, Billy Terrell (GK)
SCORERS: A Tod (20, 45+1, 58), Rudden (65), Macleod (76)
YELLOW CARDS: Amade (25), CÃ ¡ceres (41)

REFEREE: Lloyd Wilson
ATTENDANCE: 2074
WEATHER: Overcast 14 °C

NEXT MATCH: (away) v St Johnstone, Friday 19th September 2025, kick off 7.45pm at McDiarmid Park